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8 Constitution of the
9 Residence Halls Association
10 At Oklahoma State University
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22 PREAMBLE
23 We, the members of the Residence Hall Association of Oklahoma State University, shall
24 strive for a perfect association, upholding the rights of the residents, and facilitating a
25 unified network of Residence Halls. We, the members, do hereby ordain and establish
26 this Constitution of the Residence Halls Association of Oklahoma State University.
27
28 ARTICLE I.
29 Names, Definitions, and Membership

31 I.1 The name of this organization shall be the Residence Halls Association of
32 Oklahoma State University and shall henceforth be known as RHA.

34 I.2 A Residence Hall shall be defined as any building on Oklahoma State

35 University at Stillwater that houses students. Residence Halls shall include
36 traditional halls, traditional hall complexes, suite complexes, deluxe suite
37 complexes, and university apartment complexes.

39 1.3 Any student who is living in a Residence Hall shall be a member of RHA.

41 1.4 The Constitution shall be the supreme authority over the organization and
42 the structure of RHA.
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44 ARTICLE II.
45 Legislative Branch
46
47 II.1 All legislative authority shall be granted to the RHA Senate.

48 II.2 RHA Senators

50
51 II.2.1
52 The RHA Senate shall be composed of two Senators from each
53 Residence Hall Government, chosen by the Government and each
54 Senator shall have one vote.
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56 II.2.2 Duties
57  Senators shall be tasked with the proper and conscientious
58 representation of their halls’ interests
59  Absence of no more than three Senate meetings without
60 designating a proxy
61  The timely communication of RHA Senate to their halls, the
62 reporting of activities to their halls
63  The notification of all issues pertinent to RHA.

65 II.2.3 Term
66 All Senators shall serve a term of office beginning at the start of the
67 fall term and ending at the conclusion of the spring term.
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69 II.2.4 Prerequisites for Office
70  A Senator shall possess a 2.2 cumulative G.P.A.
71  Be classified as a full time student and when elected
72  Be a resident of the Residence Hall that they represent at the time
73 of election and for the remainder of the term
74
75 II.3 Standing Committees
76 The RHA Senate shall have Standing Committees to closely study
77 business relevant to RHA. Each standing committee shall make reports at
78 every open meeting of Senate and shall refer its business to the Senate if it
79 finds such matter worthy of further study.
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81 II.3.1 Internal Affairs Committee
82 The Internal Affairs Committee will be responsible for study and
83 judgment of matter that will directly affect Residence Halls.
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85 II.3.2 External Affairs Committee
86 The External Affairs Committee shall be tasked with the study and
87 judgment of matters concerning RHA’s relations with other
88 organizations and persons.
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90 II.4 RHA Senate Chair
91 RHA Senate Chair will preside over the RHA Senate. The Senate Chair
92 shall be elected by a majority of the Senate and shall have no vote unless
93 the Senate is equally divided.
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95 II.4.1 Duties of the RHA Senate Chair
96 The RHA Senate Chair shall preside over all regular and special
97 sessions of Senate and the Chair shall be responsible for the
98 creation of the Agenda for every Senate meeting.
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100 II.4.2 Powers of the Senate Chair
101
102 II.4.2.1 Selection of Senate Officers
103 The Senate Chair shall appoint the Senate Parliamentarian
104 and the Senate Secretary of the RHA Senate and they must
105 be confirmed by a majority of the voting Senate.
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107 II.4.2.2 Meeting Times
108 The Senate Chair shall set the standard meeting time and
109 place of the RHA Senate.
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114 II.4.2.3 Special Sessions
115 The Senate Chair shall have the power to call special or
116 closed sessions of the RHA Senate, if the Chair deems such
117 sessions as necessary.
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119 II.4.2.4 Special Committees
120 The Senate Chair shall have the power to form a special
121 committee of the RHA Senate and shall appoint its chair.
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123 II.4.2.5 Term
124 The Senate Chair shall assume office at the RHA
125 Leadership Banquet and shall remain in office form
126 inauguration to inauguration
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128 II.4.3 Prerequisites for Office
129  The Senate Chair must have at least a 2.2 cumulative
130 G.P.A.
131  Be a full-time student or a graduating senior
132  Be a resident of a Residence Hall while they are serving
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134 II.5 Powers of the Legislature
135 The RHA Senate shall have the following authority:
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137 1. To adopt By-Laws of this Constitution and establish House Rules
138 for RHA Senate Meetings and the Election Board Rules for the
139 RHA Elections
140 2. To approve or reject appointments made by the RHA President or
141 RHA Senate Chair
142 3. To draft or act upon legislation of Senate Committees or members
143 4. To discuss and debate matters of concern to the RHA Community
144 5. To authorize the allocation of certain funds from the RHA Budget
145 6. To approve or reject the annual budget of RHA
146 7. To act as the official voice of the Residence Halls
147 8. To override a Presidential Veto, at the next Senate meeting after
148 the veto, with a two-thirds majority of present Senators
149 9. To impeach any officer of the Executive Board
150 10. To approve members of the Judicial Oversight Committee
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152 II.6 Petitions to the Legislature
153 Any action of the RHA Senate may be subject to review. First, at least
154 fifteen percent of the RHA must sign a petition for such a review and the
155 petition must be submitted to the RHA President. The RHA President
156 must then present the petition to the RHA Senate Chair. Should the Senate
157 refuse to submit to an internal review of the action in question, the matter
158 shall be put to a vote by RHA no more than ten school days following the
159 refusal and the petition shall not pass without a concurrence of the
160 majority of the voting RHA.
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162 II.6.1
163 The RHA Senate must act upon any resolution submitted by petition to the
164 RHA President, if it is signed by at least ten percent of RHA members and
165 does not call for a direct allocation of funds. The RHA Senate must act
166 within ten school days after receipt of the resolution from the RHA
167 President. If the RHA does not act favorably on the resolution, it may be
168 submitted to a special election, provided it is signed by fifteen percent of
169 RHA members and passed by a majority vote of RHA members.
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171 II.7 Officers of the Legislature
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173 II.7.1 Senate Parliamentarian
174 The Senate shall have a Parliamentarian, chosen by the Chair and
175 confirmed by the Senate. The Parliamentarian shall be the
176 authority on Senate Rules and Procedures. The Judicial Oversight
177 Committee Chair may overrule the Senate Parliamentarian. In the
178 absence of the Senate Chair, the Parliamentarian shall preside over
179 the Senate.
180
181 II.7.2 Senate Secretary
182 The Senate shall have a Secretary, chosen by the Chair and
183 confirmed by the Senate. The Secretary shall be tasked with the
184 completion of minutes of all open sessions of the Senate.
185
186 II.7.3 Standing Committee Chairs
187 The Senate shall have Chairs for its Standing Committees and they
188 shall be chosen by the Chair and confirmed by the Senate. The
189 Committee Chairs shall preside over their respective committees
190 and make regular reports to the entire Senate body.
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192 ARTICLE III.
193 Executive Branch
194
195 III.1 Executive Officers
196 The executive officers of RHA shall be the President, Vice-President,
197 National Communications Coordinator (NCC), and the Treasurer.
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199 III.1.1 President
200 The Duties of the RHA President shall include:
201 1. Acting as Chief Executive of the organization
202 2. Appointing Executive Officers
203 3. Co-authorship of the Fall and Spring budget
204 4. Signing, vetoing, or refusing to act upon any Senate resolution
205 5. Appointing members to respective campus committees
206 6. Nominating members of the Judicial Oversight Committee
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210 III.1.2 Vice-President
211 The Duties of the RHA Vice-President shall include:
212 1. Assisting the RHA President as necessary
213 2. Assuming the Office of the RHA President in the event of a
214 vacancy and being sworn into this office by the Judicial Oversight
215 Committee Chair
216 3. Acting as Chair of the RHA Programming Board
217 4. Organizing a minimum of six (6) programs per semester
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219 III.1.3 Treasurer
220 The Duties of the RHA Treasurer shall include:
221 1. Assisting the RHA President as necessary
222 2. Maintaining all RHA financial records
223 3. Co-authorship of the Fall and Spring budget
224 4. Submission of a financial report every other week to the RHA
225 Senate
226
227 III.1.4 National Communications Coordinator (NCC)
228 The Duties of the RHA National Communications Coordinator shall
229 include:
230 1. Assisting the RHA President as necessary
231 2. Assuming the roles of the National Communications Coordinator,
232 as defined by the National Association of College and University
233 Residence Halls
234 3. Assuming the role of RHA representative to any official
235 fundraising endeavors
236 4. If appointed for office of NCC must be willing to serve a full term
237 of office starting in the spring and ending in the fall
238 5. Appointing, with the approval of the RHA President, a National
239 Communications Coordinator In-Training (NCC-IT)
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242 III.3 Terms of Office
243 For all RHA Executive Officers shall be a term of office beginning from
244 Inauguration to Inauguration
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246 III.4 Prerequisites for Office
247  A RHA Executive shall posses a 2.2 cumulative G.P.A.
248  Be classified as a full time student
249  Must live in a Residence Hall and be considered a member of RHA
250  In addition, a candidate for office must have served as an RHA
251 Executive Board Member, RHA Senator, Hall Executive, or served on
252 the Judicial Oversight Committee and must have completed at least 24
253 hours of course work prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
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255 III.4.1 Additional NCC Prerequisite
256 A National Communications Coordinator shall, in addition to the above
257 requirements, also have
258  Gone through the NCC training
259  Be appointed by the RHA President and the NCC
260  Be confirmed by the RHA Senate
261  Have attended at least one (1) conference
262 If there is no candidate that meets the above requirements then the RHA
263 President may choose another candidate that he/she deem qualified.
264
265 ARTICLE IV.
266 Judicial Branch
267
268 IV.1 RHA Judicial Oversight Committee
269 The Supreme Judicial Authority of the Residence Hall Association shall be
270 vested in a Judicial Oversight Committee.
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272 IV.2 Jurisdiction
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274 IV.2.1The Judicial Oversight Committee shall be responsible for ensuring
275 that individual Hall Governments are being constitutionally responsible
276 and following both the RHA Constitution and the Hall Constitution.
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278 IV.2.2 The Judicial Oversight Committee shall exercise original
279 jurisdiction in any dispute between an individual and any Residence Hall
280 Constitution.
281
282 IV.2.3 The Judicial Oversight Committee shall exercise appellate
283 jurisdiction from the Residence Hall Elections Boards, RHA Senate, and
284 RHA Executive Board.
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286 IV.2.4 Prerequisites for Judicial Oversight Committee
287 A member of the JOC shall posses a 2.2 cumulative G.P.A., be classified as a
288 full time student, and must live in a Residence Hall and is a member of RHA.
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291 ARTICLE VI.
292 RHA Presidents Line of Succession
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294 VI. The line of succession for a vacant elected position shall be as follows:
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296 VI.1.1 RHA President- RHA Vice President, RHA Treasurer, NCC
297 Chair, RHA Senate Chairman, Judicial Oversight Chairman, RHA
298 General Secretary, RHA Senate Secretary, RHA Senate
299 Parliamentarian, Internal Affairs Chair, External Affairs Chair.
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301 ARTICLE VII.
302 Removal from Office
303
304 VII.1 Removal of RHA Senators
305 The RHA Senate Chair with the approval of the RHA President or a
306 representative from a RHA Senators Hall shall have the authority to
307 remove any RHA Senator from his/her duties within the Senate, due
308 to failure to perform and fulfill the duties and obligations listed in
309 Article II. Any Senator removed may appeal to the RHA Judicial
310 Oversight Committee in writing within ten academic school days.
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314 VII.2 Removal of the Senate Chair
315 The Senate Chair may be impeached, on a motion, by a simple majority of
316 the senate, upon which a trial for removal shall commence no later than
317 ten school days following the impeachment, by the Judicial Oversight
318 Committee. The trial shall be heard before a special closed session of the
319 Senate, and the Chairman of the Judicial Oversight Committee shall
320 preside over. The original author of the motion shall act as sole plaintiff;
321 the Senate Chair shall choose his or her own defenders. During the course
322 of the trial a selected member from the Judicial Oversight Committee shall
323 present their findings to the Senate. Following the trial, the RHA Senate
324 may remove the Chair from office with a three-fourths majority vote.
325
326 VII.3 Removal of Executive Officers
327 Any Executive Officer of RHA may be impeached by a petition of ten
328 percent of RHA/Residents on Campus, submitted to RHA Senate, or by
329 the approval of a motion to impeach in the RHA Senate by a voting
330 majority. A trial for removal shall then be convened no later than ten
331 school days following impeachment. The trial shall be heard before the
332 members of the Judicial Oversight Committee, and presided over by the
333 Judicial Oversight Chairman, with concurrence of two-thirds of the
334 present committee, have the sole power of removal. If the Executive
335 Officer is impeached and removed, he or she shall not be eligible to serve
336 as officer at any level of the RHA for no less than one academic year.
337
338 VII.4 Removal of the Judicial Oversight Chairmen
339 The JOC Chair may be removed from office with a petition of ten percent
340 of the RHA/Residents on Campus, submitted to the RHA Senate, or by the
341 approval of a motion to impeach in the RHA Senate by a voting majority.
342 A trial for removal shall then be convened no later than ten school days
343 following impeachment. The trial shall be heard before the RHA Advisor,
344 and the Area Coordinators. The original author of the motion and the JOC
345 Chair shall act as sole plaintiff. Following the trial, the RHA Advisor, and
346 the Area Coordinators may remove the chair from office.
347
348 ARTICLE VIII.
349 Delegation of powers to the residence halls of OSU
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351 Any powers not explicitly given to the RHA government are hereby delegated
352 to the governments of the individual Residence Halls.
353
354 ARTICLE IX.
355 Amendments of powers to this Constitution
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357 Proposed amendments to this Constitution shall be submitted to the RHA
358 Senate in writing. If approved by two-thirds of the voting Senate, and with
359 concurrences of the voting majority, to be held no later than ten school days
360 following Senate approval.
361
362 ARTICLE X.
363 By-Laws
364
365 By-laws, and amendments to the By-laws, are to be voted upon at a regular
366 session of the RHA Senate, having been presented to the Senate at the
367 previous session. A two-thirds concurrence shall be necessary for approval.
368
369 ARTICLE XI.
370 Grandfathering
371
372 XI.1 GRANDFATHERING
373 The occupants of all elected positions at the time of ratification shall be
374 allowed to serve out the remainder of their respective terms. If elected
375 positions for the following term have already been filled, the future
376 occupants of said positions shall serve the term for which they were
377 selected, but shall adhere to this Constitution.
378
379
380 ARTICLE XII.
381 Last Amended Date
382
383 XII.1 LAST DATE AMENDED
384 November 25, 2009
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